Tyre tread, air pressure and car seats. When was the last time you gave your car a safety MOT?

I honestly can’t remember the last time we checked these things on our car, but having a newborn again has reminded me we really ought to be more vigilant.

5 simple car safety checks all parents should know

According to tyre experts www.tyreplus.co.uk there are some basic checks we should all do before getting behind the wheel of our cars, especially when you’ve got kids in the back.

5 simple car safety checks all parents should know

1. Tyre tread depth. Tread depth is important because tread is essential for a good grip on the road, especially when it’s wet. Braking distance directly correlates to tyre tread depth, and as your tyres wear out so do their tread. It’s recommended that tyres are replaced when their tread reaches 3mm.

2. Tyre pressure. Did you know you should check your tyre pressure every couple of weeks? If you don’t, just like tyre tread depth, you risk decreasing your grip on the road and increasing your braking distance – putting lives at risk.

3. Car seats. Check your child’s car seat each trip to make sure it’s installed firmly and correctly. Twisted seatbelts, loose harnesses and not being adjusted to the height of the child all compromise the effectiveness of the car seat.

4. Child lock. Make sure the car child lock is activated before each trip – it’s easy to deactivate it when you’ve had adults in the back and then forget to reactivate it again.

5. Fuel! It might sound obvious but thousands of breakdowns each year occur because the vehicle is out of fuel. In some cases you can even be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice if your breakdown was foreseeable, and running out of fuel is classed as foreseeable.

Have you checked your tyre tread or air pressure recently? When was the last time you adjusted your child’s car seat?

This post was written in collaboration with Tyre Plus.

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